Burlington, VT (October 1, 2007) — Burton riders Jeremy Jones, Heikki Sorsa, Jussi Oksanen, Fredi Kalbermatten, Mads Jonsson, Mason Aguirre, Elena Hight and Spencer O’Brien will be in Salt Lake City on Monday, October 8 to sign autographs, meet local riders and premiere the new Burton promo video “Thanks in Advance”.

Mike Aitken and Tim "Fuzzy" Hall got hero's welcomes.
Riding their BMX bikes in front a more-than-friendly crowd at the BMX Dirt course had both cyclists — Utah natives and residents — riding a wave of emotion and energy. For Aitken, a Taylorsville High grad and Murray resident, it was enough to get him a spot in the finals tonight at the AST Dew Tour.
His first-round 87.33 gave him ninth.
For Hall, a Brigham City native who designed and built the course he rode on during Thursday's preliminary round, the finals were not truly the objective. Just riding in front of his family and friends was enough.
"I made it through without getting hurt," Hall exclaimed after completing his second run through a series of five drops, jumps and landings. "I was so nervous. This was my first competition this year because I separated my shoulder. I haven't done a big set like that for a while."
His score of 74.67 was good enough for 24th, but only the top 12 advanced. California's James Foster was first at 91.67 followed by Australia's Cameron White at 91.17.
Aitken, who celebrated his berth in the finals by grabbing his young son, Owen, and hugging his wife, Trista, amid the frenzied crowd, was the first cyclist to drop out of the starting gate. He smoked his run and stayed amid the leaders until the final riders of the second heat hit the dirt.

And though he dropped in the standings a bit, he'll be giving it his all tonight.
"I never take it too seriously," Aitken said. "I don't do well with pressure, so I just go out and have some fun."
Fun, apparently, means whipping his BMX bike around and nailing back flips with ease.
It also means he's got a decent shot at finishing high in the money.
SALT LAKE SUPPORT: There were some who questioned how well buttoned-down Utah would support the on-the-edge Dew Tour.
Those worries can be put to bed.
Near-capacity crowds impressed Dew Tour officials and athletes alike.
"They're crazy," skateboard park leader Ryan Sheckler said after scoring an 89.50 in his first preliminary heat. "We never have an almost packed in qualifying. The finals are going to be nuts."

SCHEDULE CHANGE: It doesn't take much wind at all to scare the freestyle motocross athletes off the course. The speeds, heights and impacts associated with the event mean conditions need to be just about perfect before the motorcycles take to the air. A little wind is all it takes to blow a bike off its course, risking the life of the rider.
With that in mind, and with just a little breeze, preliminary heats for the popular event were postponed. The Freestyle Motocross prelims will now be held, weather permitting, at 11 a.m. today with the finals scheduled for Saturday at 11:45 a.m.

CHEVELLE CONCERT: Tonight, after the final athlete is finished competing, rock band Chevelle will perform a concert inside EnergySolutions Arena.
The concert, estimated to begin at about 9 p.m., is free with your admission to the Dew Tour.

The AST Dew Tour debuted in June 2005, as the first ever Action Sports Tour. The Dew Tour is made up of five major events that take place over the course of five months, June thru October, and features skateboarding (park and vert), BMX (park, vert and dirt) and freestyle motocross. The Tour awards champions in the six disciplines with the Dew Cup at season’s end based on a cumulative points system. There is $2.5 million in prize money – the largest in action sports – and an additional $1 million bonus pool based upon year-end standings. The AST Dew Tour is not only broadcast on NBC and USA Network, but is also distributed worldwide, in over 100 different countries! At each Dew Tour event there is also an Outdoor Festival with video gaming, BMX and Skate interactive courses, as well as the two-story, 3,200 square foot House of Dew that features a DJ spinning, an airbrush tattoo parlor, and a movie theater. The House of Dew also boasts a PlayStation 2 Gaming Lounge and an endless supply of Mountain Dew. The Festival Village gives fans the opportunity to meet their favorite athletes and get autographs, while trying out exciting new products.

More than 150 of the top action sports athletes in the world will return for the third season of the AST Dew Tour to compete for the highly coveted Dew Cup. Last year’s 2006 Dew Cup champions include Nate Adams (Freestyle Motocross), Jamie Bestwick (BMX Vert), Daniel Dhers (BMX Park), Anthony Napolitan (BMX Dirt), Bucky Lasek (Skateboard Vert) and Ryan Sheckler (Skateboard Park).

2007 Tour stops include:

June 21-24: Panasonic Open - Baltimore, MD

July 19-22: Right Guard Open - Cleveland, OH

Aug. 16-19: Vans® Invitational - Portland, OR

Sept. 20-23: Toyota Challenge - Salt Lake City, UT

Oct. 18-21: PlayStation® Pro - Orlando, FL